Blackjack (also known as Twenty-one, Vingt-et-un (French for Twenty-one), or Pontoon) is one of the most popular casino card games in the world. Much of blackjack's popularity is due to the mix of chance with elements of skill, and the publicity that surrounds card counting (keeping track of which cards have been played since the last shuffle). The casino version of the game should not be confused with the British card game Black Jack (a variant of Crazy Eights).
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History of blackjack
Blackjack's precursor was vingt-et-un ("twenty-one"), which originated in French casinos around 1700, and did not offer the 3:2 bonus for a two-card 21.
When 21 was first introduced in the United States it was not very popular, so gambling houses tried offering various bonus payouts to get the players to the tables. One such bonus was a 10-to-1 payout if the player's hand consisted of the ace of spades and a black Jack (either the Jack of clubs or the Jack of spades). This hand was called a "blackjack" and the name stuck to the game even though the bonus payout was soon abolished. As the game is currently played, a "blackjack" may not necessarily contain a jack or any black cards at all.
How to play blackjack
The hand with the highest total wins as long as it doesn't exceed 21; a hand with a higher total than 21 is said to bust or too many. Cards 2 through 10 are worth their face value, and face cards (jack, queen, king) are also worth 10. An ace's value is 11 unless this would cause the player to bust, in which case it is worth 1. A hand in which an ace's value is counted as 11 is called a soft hand, because it cannot be busted if the player draws another card.
Each player's goal is to beat the dealer by having the higher, unbusted hand. Note that if the player busts he loses, even if the dealer also busts. If both the player and the dealer have the same point value, it is called a "push", and neither player nor dealer wins the hand. Each player has an independent game with the dealer, so it is possible for the dealer to lose to some players but still beat the other players in the same round.
Example of a Blackjack game. The top half of the picture shows the beginning of the round, with bets placed and an initial two cards for each player. The bottom half shows the end of the round, with the associated losses or payoffs.
Example of a Blackjack game. The top half of the picture shows the beginning of the round, with bets placed and an initial two cards for each player. The bottom half shows the end of the round, with the associated losses or payoffs.
The minimum bet is printed on a sign on the table and varies from casino to casino and table to table. After initial bets are placed, the dealer deals the cards, either from one or two hand-held decks of cards, known as a "pitch" game, or more commonly from a shoe containing four or more decks. The dealer gives two cards to each player including himself. One of the dealer's two cards is face-up so all the players can see it, and the other is face down. (The face-down card is known as the "hole card". In European blackjack, the hole card is not actually dealt until the players all play their hands.) The cards are dealt face up from a shoe, or face down if it is a pitch game.
In American blackjack, if the dealer's face-up card is an ace or a ten-value, the dealer checks his hole card to see if he has blackjack. This check occurs before any of the players play, but after they have been offered insurance (if the face-up card is an ace). If the dealer has blackjack, all players lose their initial bets, except players who also have blackjack, who push. (In some American casinos, the dealer does not actually check the hole card until after the players have all played. At that time, if the dealer turns out to have blackjack, all players who did not have blackjack lose their bets, and players who increased their bets by doubling or splitting lose only the original bet, and have the additional bets returned to them; thus, the end result is precisely as if the dealer had checked the hole card before playing.)
A two-card hand of 21 (an ace plus a ten-value card) is called a "blackjack" or a "natural", and is an automatic winner (unless the dealer has blackjack as well, in which case the hand is a push). A player with a natural is usually paid 3:2 on his bet. Some casinos pay only 6:5 on blackjacks; although this reduced payout has generally been restricted to single-deck games (Current Blackjack News, Pi Yee Press). This reduced payout for a natural increases the house advantage over a player by as much as 1000 percent. The move was decried by longtime blackjack players.
Player decisions
The player's options for playing his or her hand are:
- Hit: Take another card.
- Stand: Take no more cards, also "stick" or "stay".
- Double down: Increase the wager to a maximum of double the original bet and take exactly one more card. For example, if the player's orignal bet was $25, the player could increase the bet by up to an additional $25, for a new total bet of up to $50. Increasing the wager to less than twice the original bet is called "double down for less".
- Split: Double the wager and have each card be the first card in a new hand. This option is available only when both cards have the same rank.
- Surrender: Forfeit half the bet and give up the hand.
The player's turn is over after deciding to stand, doubling down to take a single card, or busting. If the player busts, he or she loses the bet even if the dealer goes on to bust.
After all the players have finished making their decisions, the dealer then reveals his or her hidden hole card and plays the hand. House rules say that the dealer must hit until he or she has at least 17, regardless of what the players have. In some casinos a dealer must also hit a soft 17 (a combination of cards adding up to either 7 or 17, such as an ace and a 6).
If the dealer busts then all remaining players win. Bets are normally paid out at the odds of 1:1. Players who push (tie) with the dealer receive their original bet back.
Basic Strategy Rules for Hard Totals |
Dealer's Upcard |
Player | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | T | A |
17 | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
16 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
15 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
14 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
13 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
12 | H | H | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
11 | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | H |
10 | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | H | H |
9 | H | D | D | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
8 | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H |
Key H = Hit S = Stand D = Double if allowed; If not, hit
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Basic Strategy Rules for Soft Totals |
Dealer's Upcard |
Player 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | T | A |
(A,9) | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
(A,8) | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
(A,7) | S | D/S | D/S | D/S | D/S | S | S | H | H | H |
(A,6) | H | D | D | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
(A,5) | H | H | D | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
(A,4) | H | H | D | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
(A,3) | H | H | H | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
(A,3) | H | H | H | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
Key H = Hit S = Stand D = Double if allowed; If not, hit D/S = Double if allowed; If not, stand
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Basic Strategy Rules for Pair Splitting |
Dealer's Upcard |
Player Cards | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | T | A |
(A,A) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
(T,T) | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
(9,9) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N |
(8,8) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
(7,7) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N |
(6,6) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N |
(5,5) | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
(4,4) | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N |
(3,3) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N |
(2,2) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N |
Key
SP = Split the pair N = Don't split the pair
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Remember, optimal basic strategy varies with the version of the game that you play, and there are tables such as these that outline exactly what action to take given the circumstance. And while they may be challenging to memorize, if making money as a blackjack player is your ultimate goal, theres simply no other option.
Sidebar: Variations on a Theme
While the traditional version is often the game of choice among blackjack enthusiasts, there are many other exciting and profitable variants available in both traditional and online casinos. Although the basic premise for each variation is akin to traditional blackjack, each has its own set of rules and strategy.
Game | Basic Rules |
Double Exposure Blackjack | Offers many of the same traditional blackjack rules except: Both dealer cards are exposed, dealer wins all ties except on a natural blackjack, players may split only once, player blackjack pays 1:1. |
European Advanced Blackjack | Available in regular and high limit versions. In this double-deck game blackjack pays 3:2, the dealer stands on soft 17, and both double down and split options are available. |
Spanish Blackjack | Liberal blackjack game. Rules include: multiple 48-card decks (10s are removed from play), player 21 always wins, player blackjack beats dealer blackjack, player may double after splitting, double down rescue, five-card 21 pays 3:2, six-card 21 pays 2:1, and seven-card pays 3:1. |
Super Fun 21 | Very liberal single deck version of blackjack. Rules include: Dealer hits soft 17, player may double after a split, double on any number of cards, late surrender is available, as is double down rescue. Blackjack pays even money. |
If you would like to see Platinum Play Casino's Blackjack games, we would suggest you take a look at the "Gold Series Games". Below find a list of all single and multi hand blackjack games.
Single Hand Gold Series Blackjack
Multi Hand Gold Series BlackJack
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